


In The Castle

by TheLoneStar



Series: Tales of Termina [10]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Emotionally Repressed, Flashbacks, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Mental Health Issues, Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26737768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneStar/pseuds/TheLoneStar
Summary: He wasn’t really there, with Tatl or Evan. No, his mind was flung back into the past, nearly two full years.
Relationships: Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Tales of Termina [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1323926
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	In The Castle

“No, no, that’s not it…” Evan mumbled to himself. He was either unaware of the False Mikau standing behind him, or simply ignoring him. The fake Zora stood there, staring at the pianist play the unusual, skeletal instrument in vain. This was the first time that he witnessed this, only having talked to Evan outside this room briefly a Cycle or two ago.

From behind the fake Zora’s head flew Tatl, who perched on his shoulder. “Link, what are you doing? Just gonna stare at this guy?” She’d hiss in his ear. For some reason she didn’t want to be the one catching Evan’s attention.

But Link wasn’t paying Tatl any mind. He wasn’t exactly focusing on Evan either. If anything, all he could think of was the piano and the music it produced.

When he had reset the Moon and Termina itself for the first time, Link had been treated to The Happy Mask Salesman playing on a large organ for him. At that point, his mind was so muddled he was almost working on autopilot, hardly even thinking.

In the present, however, his mind was far clearer. This caused an effect to overtake the boy, one he didn’t fully understand. He wasn’t really there, with Tatl or Evan. No, his mind was flung back into the past, nearly two full years.

Back to Hyrule.

Back to the castle.

_The soft, slow notes echoed through the grandiose room. It was a large, empty space save for the one piano near the back. Clearly a place for social gatherings, for adults to stand around and talk about boring things or perhaps dance._

_At the moment, however, there was only one occupant in the room. A young boy, ten years old and dressed only in a simple green sleeping gown. The floor was cold on his bare feet, but he didn’t mind it. He didn’t focus on it._

_Instead, he simply kept his mind on the notes that floated through the room like dizzy butterflies. His face was blank, like a mask, staring down at the keys. One hand danced across them, without much direction or grace. But he didn’t care._

_He didn’t wish to learn the piano. He didn’t want to play a beautiful melody. He just wanted the noise. The distraction. It kept his mind from wandering, from-_

_“Link?” A soft voice called._

_The boy looked, hand frozen, to the source of the voice. He hadn’t heard the door open, and there stood her. The Princess. Zelda. His caretaker of sorts, almost his nurse. The one that kept him housed and fed and alive. The one that was trying to put him back together._

_“I thought I had heard the piano playing.” She continued, slowly walking to the large instrument and eyeing it. Zelda didn’t seem upset, almost amused if anything. The Princess even gave a small, albeit sad, smile as she looked from the instrument back to Link. “Did you want to learn?”_

_No noise came from the boy. For a moment, he just stared at her with those dull, broken blue eyes of his. After a few seconds, he merely shook his head. Today was another Silent Day._

_For reasons even Link himself couldn’t explain, some days he simply couldn’t bring himself to speak. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, it was just that he couldn’t. There was a sort of mental block that just wouldn’t let him get the words out. It was like something gummy was in his throat, causing all sound to just stop._

_Zelda seemed to understood his silence, being more than aware she’d get no words out of him this day. “I see.” She tried to sound calm, even joyful, but worry and sadness bled into her tone. “Would it be alright if I played with you?”_

_Bringing his fingers away from the keys, Link would give a small, soft nod. His eyes would remain glued to the ivory rectangles._

_The lack of eye contact made Zelda frown a bit, but she smiled moments later. Maybe to fool herself more than Link. She would sit down next to the boy, giving him room on the bench as she placed her hands to the instrument. “Let’s see…what to play…ah, maybe…”_

_After taking a small breath, the Princess’ delicate fingers started to move along the piano’s keys. It was far more graceful and gentle than Link’s slow and almost clunky movements. His fingers were a drunken gait to Zelda’s elegant and soft dance. The tune was beautiful and floated through the room like dandelion seeds._

_The boy just stared down at the keys as the song played, letting the melody ease him as best as it could, the music replacing the sounds of creatures growling or the clashing of blades. He sighed through his nose, listening to the song as the Princess played._

_It felt like hours passed before she finished, only her speaking making him open his eyes. “How was that, Link? I learned that when I was quite young. Did you enjoy it?”_

_He opened his eyes, looking to the Princess. His expression had remained static the whole time. Link tried to keep things as bottled up as possible, but some days his mental and emotional states were too out of sorts, and he found himself yelling or crying when he didn’t want to. The boy gave a small nod, having found the music lightly soothing._

_“Good, good. Do you want to go again?” Zelda asked, folding her hands neatly in her lap as she spoke._

_Since it seemed Zelda really wanted him to play some more, Link complied. He had no tune or melody in mind. Not that he could know how to properly play it anyway. Once more, his hands danced along they keys, an awkward and staggering beat compared to Zelda’s._

_As he played the aimless song, his mind wandered. He originally was playing the piano to distract himself, but perhaps it was the Princess’ presence that changed that. Rather than hearing the piano, he heard sword clashing with sword, the howl of a Wolfos, the beating of an unholy drum. In his mind’s eye, he saw orange spheres in the darkness, closing in on him._

_The boy played louder, more erratically, not even noticing when Zelda meekly called his name. Had to drown it out. Had to distract himself. Had to make it all just GO AWAY!_

_With one final movement, he slammed his fists into the keys, making a loud and ugly sound erupt from the piano. He sat still there for a moment, the only movement being the shuddering of his body. He stared down at his own hands, panting as his frame shook._

_“…Link…” Zelda murmured, staring at the boy with unhidden pity. Slowly, she reached a hand out to touch his shoulder, only to retract it when he flinched. There were days he couldn’t be touched. physical contact would just feel awful. She wanted to try just once more, placing her hand on his shoulder. This time, he allowed her._

_Slowly, she’d rub his back, frowning as tears formed in the boy’s dull blue eyes and started to drip down on the piano’s keys…_

…

…

…

Link shivered lightly as he got into the bath at the Stock Pot Inn.

Despite being more technologically advanced than Hyrule, Clock Town apparently had troubles mastering the concept of a warm bath. A heated bath was one of the few things that could really make the boy unwind and feel at ease.

Yes, he and Tatl could go to the hot springs up North, but that was quite the journey for something like that. And…he was just so exhausted; he couldn’t make such a trip this Cycle.

Tatl, like with the springs, had her own little bathtub of her own, a small bowl that the two used for this occasion. “We gotta go up to those springs again soon. Now that I know what a hot bath is like, going back to this is just awful.”

The boy glanced over to the fairy, looking back down at his exposed, scarred torso. Normally, he didn’t mind Tatl seeing him like this, in fact it was the fairy that got embarrassed, but sometimes the scars that adorned his body made him feel…disgusting.

“Sometime soon, maybe. It’s a long trip.” Link replied, voice steady and monotone as it usually was. Tatl’s response fell on deaf ears, the boy no longer focusing on the fairy. He wasn’t focusing on anything in the present, even. Instead, his mind circled back to the castle as he stared at his hands…

_The young boy sighed lightly as the warm water enveloped him. His own private bathroom and his own private bath. One of the few things that helped make him consistently feel calm were the warm baths that were available within the castle. To think he had to rely on rivers and ponds for ten years!_

_Still, the warm water could only do so much at times. When Link was truly in a rut, his mind and emotions out of control and his trauma truly gnawing at his mind, the comfortable embrace of the bath did nothing for him._

_This was a calm day for him, thus far. As far as that went since he started to live in the stone walls where the Royal Family lived. He still had nightmares last night, creatures of all shapes and sizes out for his blood, desiring to feast on his flesh or simply to torture him until he lost all energy and perished._

_Despite the warmth he felt, Link let out a small shiver._

_He looked down at himself, frowning at what he saw. Scars on his body, disgusting reminders of what had happened all because of a wicked man from the desert._

_His hands raised from the water, pruned and shaking lightly. No matter how hard he looked, Link could see the blood on them. From the Wolfos he mercy killed. The Moblins in the maze. The living dead beneath Kakariko Village._

_And…_

_Him._

_That man._

_Getting a cleaning cloth, he started to scrub at his hands. He just wanted the blood off! He scrubbed and scrubbed at the offending appendages. No matter how hard he washed or how much it hurt, how mush pressure he put on, the blood wouldn’t go away!_

_His breath growing faster, Link worked the cloth over and over, wanting just a speck of the blood to leave him! Why wouldn’t it go away?! Why did it remain there, a constant reminder of the lives he took?! How many times did he have to wash and bathe to feel clean!?_

_Even as the water grew cold, he still scrubbed…_

_“You can’t let yourself succumb to those sorts of thoughts.” Zelda gently chided Link, rubbing a healing ointment on his hands. The two sat in his room, the boy long dried and changed. His hands were both red, raw, and throbbing in a dull pain. Specks of real blood even managed to push through his skin. “I’m just glad it wasn’t worse than this.”_

_Link didn’t even look at Zelda, feeling too ashamed of himself. “…I’m sorry.” He droned out, trying not to wince. Even though the Princess was being as gentle as possible, it still hurt._

_“It’s okay, you don’t have anything to be sorry for.” The girl said, offering the boy in green a small and kind smile. Yet she was unable to hide the worry in her eyes. The makeup that hid the shadows beneath those blue orbs told Link all he needed to know._

_He despised it when Zelda said that. When anyone said that. No matter what he did, it was always ‘Okay’ to them. To Zelda. The guards and servants. The Sages. Malon. Every time he messed up and made things harder for them…they waved it away. Tried to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. But it was to him. He felt like a disgusting burden, but the others all seemed like they were lying, trying to make the boy calm by hiding how frustrating he was._

_“Is it really?” He’d ask, managing to keep all annoyance out of his tone._

_Applying more of the ointment, the Princess nodded, keeping that small smile on her face. “Well, you didn’t mean to, right?”_

_“…No. I didn’t.” Link had lost control. Acted without thinking. He found himself doing that a lot more frequently since his quest ended. Since Navi left._

_“And you will try not to do it again, correct? Even if it ends up happening again, you will make an attempt not to, right?” Zelda asked, this not being the first time these two went through this exact exchange, the Princess having to help apply medicine to the boy’s raw hands._

_A pause._

_“…I’ll try. But…I can’t promise…” He trailed off, once more beating down his frustration, the anger at himself, and keeping it out of his voice._

_“You don’t have to promise it won’t happen again.” Zelda chided gently. “All I ask is that you try. Even if you slip up, trying to hold it back is all I can ask of you.”_

_The Princess always said these sorts of things. Optimistic. Giving Link what seemed to be endless chances. He felt they could go through this process a hundred times and the same words would escape her lips._

_“…I understand. Thank you, Zelda.” That was all he felt could be said. He knew it hurt Zelda when he argued too strongly. So, sometimes he simply conceded to her words, even if he himself didn’t mean it._

_She didn’t respond, simply nodding as she gently rubbed the medicine into his injured hands._

…

…

…

He awoke with a loud, obvious gasp.

For a moment, he didn’t understand or realize where he was as he stared straight up. Only after his eyes adjusted to the dark did he realize he was in the Knife Chamber. Of course he was. This was a Break Cycle, after all. He was still in Termina.

“What was that? Have a nightmare or something?” Tatl’s voice rang out.

Link turned to see the fairy’s light in the dark room, Tatl floating a bit over to him. Letting out a bit of a sigh through his nose, he looked back up at the ceiling. “It’s nothing. How did you even hear that?”

Tatl shrugged her tiny shoulders. “I couldn’t sleep. But don’t try to wave it off. You’re okay, right?” The mischievous fairy that would mock and belittle Link for his…quirks, was long gone by this point. She clearly cared for the boy and didn’t seem afraid to let it show.

“Trust me, it’s fine.” Link droned, closing his eyes once more. “Go back to sleep.

Seeing that arguing would get her nowhere, the fairy let out a frustrated groan as she flew back over to her bed and nestled down on the pillow once more.

Ignoring his partner’s anger, Link found it hard to get back to sleep. That nightmare had been a rather upsetting one, involving those he met in Termina begging him to stop the Moon as it fell, but his Ocarina had simply vanished. With nothing he could do, he had to stand there and watch as everyone was reduced to ash…

He had countless nightmares since his first quest ended, and Zelda knew about their frequent occurrence more than anyone.

_Link woke up, screaming at the top of his lungs. The sound rang throughout the castle, alerting guards and late-working servants alike._

_He scrambled in his bed, kicking at creatures and horrors that only existed in his mind. He felt like he was there, facing them again, his life in danger with no weapons or Guardian Fairy to aid him._

_Two guards went on, trying to restrain the boy so he wouldn’t hurt himself and to try and calm him, but he would kick them hands away and struggle in their grip._

_“No! No, get away! Get away from me! Navi! Navi, help me! Please! Help! Help me!”_

_He would scream these sorts of phrases over and over, lost in his delusions and the fear not fading at all._

_Zelda had to be fetched, a servant reluctantly waking her from her slumber. It was an order of hers, after all, that should Link go through an episode like this, she was to be summoned._

_Wearing a pure white sleeping gown and her hair loose down past her shoulders, the Princess entered the room, calmly ordering the guards to leave._

_When they did so, she sat at the edge of the bed, staring at Link with unhidden worry and pity on her tired face. It may seem almost cruel, but she realized that the best course of action tended to be to simply allow Link to wear himself out. She had nearly gotten kicked in the face when trying to restrain him once, and she knew he’d never forgive himself if he harmed her._

_Thankfully, the boy stayed in his bed, backing away into the pillows and screaming at invisible demons. But as the minutes passed, his energy indeed faded, and soon he just broke down sobbing, curled into a small ball._

_At this point, Zelda scooted closer, only a few feet from the boy. “Link? Are you okay? Do you want to talk about what you saw?” Sometimes Link would vent about the terrors he saw in his dreams, even if his ramblings were sometimes fragmented and without much context. He had only been in the castle for a month, and he had shared little about his quest. He simply wasn’t at that stage where he could easily talk about such things yet._

_Link shook his head. Not tonight. It was just too much. “I’m sorry…” He sobbed out, his shoulders shaking as he stared off into space, ashamed to look at the Princess._

_She mirrored his actions, gently shaking her head back at him. “You don’t need to be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”_

_He hated letting Zelda, letting anyone, see this side to him, but Link was just unable to push his emotions down. Since living in the castle, he found his mask impossible to keep on for long periods of time. Every day it broke, and he ended up crying or yelling or visibly afraid._

_“…I want to be alone, please.” He finally said between sobs, still unable to look at Zelda._

_Frowning, the Princess remained where she was. “Are you sure? I can stay until you calm down. It’s really not a problem for me.”_

_He’d nod, curling up tighter. “Yes. I’m s-sure. I just w-want to be by myself. I’m sorry…”_

_Slowly, Zelda stood up and looked down at the boy, pity still visible on her face. “I’ll go, only because I don’t want to upset you further. But, please, if you need me or…or you want to talk about what happened, it’s okay to reach out.”_

_He said nothing in return._

_Letting out the smallest of sighs, the Princess turned and slowly left the room, gently shutting the door behind her as she went._

_Link would stay there, sobbing to himself. He knew Zelda just wanted to help. He knew she really did want to stay. He knew making her leave made her upset…but he couldn’t face her. He wanted to just be by himself and let her get back to rest._

_But he was lying to himself. He wanted comfort and attention. A hug._

_But he wasn’t worth that._

…

…

…

Weeks after that unsettling nightmare, Link found himself in another Break Cycle. Once more, he and Tatl took refuge in the Stock Pot Inn. It was the middle of the day, a bit past noon, and Link looked down at his lunch.

He and Tatl were in the Knife Chamber, Anju having just left the two with their meal. Or Link’s meal, really. The fairy still refused to eat any of the woman’s cooking.

Yet, he didn’t touch his food. The fairy hovered by the boy, frowning as he sat the bed’s edge, tray in his lap. He wasn’t moving. He was just staring at it blankly.

“Aren’t you hungry, Link?” She asked, knowing that for some reason the odd boy found Anju’s cooking to be consumable.

Startling the fairy a bit, his head whipped to her suddenly, eyes widened a bit. Normally he kept his mask pretty intact during Break Cycles, but he looked almost…a bit scared. “Wh…What?” His tone had a hint of nervousness to it.

What was going on? Concern filling her, Tatl floated a bit closer. “I…I just asked a question. Aren’t you hungry, Link? Are you okay…?”

_“Aren’t you hungry, Link?”_

_Link looked up from the food, to Zelda. He was eleven now. Only a week after his birthday. Or, at least, the day he was brought in by the deity of the Lost Woods._

_He and Zelda were sitting in one of the dining rooms of the castle. Just the two of them, a plate before them and the children across a perfectly crafted wooden table._

_It was a modest lunch, the both of them having the same thing. Bread. Some Cucco. A glass of water and some leafy greens to the side._

_“What?” He asked, voice monotone. As time passed, he had gotten a lot better with keeping his mask intact. “Did you say something, Zelda?”_

_Offering Link a small smile as she usually did, she nodded to his food. “Aren’t you hungry, Link?”_

_He wasn’t sure. His appetite would fluctuate between the days, or even across an hour or two. At times he was almost ravenous and would practically inhale such a meal in minutes._

_Then there were days where he didn’t eat at all. Even something like soup or even milk was just too much. He found, sometimes, if he tried to force something down, his body would…reject it._

_Usually he could tell, yet in odd situations like that day, he wasn’t sure how he felt, appetize-wise. Not until he actually tried to eat, that was. Sometimes he would try to eat and find it hard to swallow. Sometimes he would suddenly realize he was starving and would eat heartily._

_He hated that he was still effected so strongly over such simple things like food. This wasn’t the only thing, of course. Sometimes the act of merely getting out of bed was impossible, Link’s limbs heavy as lead weights. Those days, he would simply lie bed for hours and hours, usually joined by Zelda._

_Sometimes speaking was impossible, even after so long. His voice just would not work no matter how hard he tried. And on days he did speak, at times having even the simplest conversations with Zelda or Saria or Malon would be difficult and even exhausting._

_That was one of the major reasons why his trauma was so difficult to work through. It was unpredictable, almost random. Two or three weeks straight he could get out of bed just fine. Then suddenly three days in a row he would need hours of building up the will just to get up and have a morning bath._

_Every day was a mystery. Would he be able to talk that day? Would he have his mask break? Could he eat? Would he wander around the castle or decide he can’t leave his room? Would he see something that triggered some memory that would make him freeze and be left in an almost trance-like state?_

_He just…wouldn’t know. Not until the day was underway._

_And he despised that with all his being._

_“…I’m not sure.” Link replied, reaching for the bread._

_“If you’re not feeling up to it…” Zelda started, frowning lightly._

_He shook his head. “I want to try.” Link picked up the food, looking at it with that blank, dull gaze of his. After a moment, he took a bite. Swallowed._

_Took another bite._

_Swallowed._

_Nice and slow. Nice and…_

_Something lurched inside of him._

_Before he could say anything, he vomited._

_The Princess let out a cry of surprise, standing up quickly._

_Link’s throat burned, having had no breakfast and throwing up mostly stomach acid. A brown puddle with bits of mushy bread pooled in the plate, ruining the meal. Some even got on the table._

_“I’m sorry!” He’d cry out, his mask shattering in a second as his physical sick dripped down his throat. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”_

_The boy picked up his napkin, trying to clean the mess. To wipe it away and stop Zelda from being mad at him. He assumed she was mad, at least._

_“It’s okay, you didn’t mean it! Please, you don’t have to clean that!” Zelda pleaded, walking around and trying to guide Link to a standing position._

_But he remained seated, shaking in guilt as he dabbed at the puddle, trying to fix his mistake._

_“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”_

…

…

…

The boy and fairy had gotten into another argument. These situations got rarer as time went on, and increasingly became more about Tatl being concerned for Link rather than her picking at him.

Granted, argument was a strong word. It didn’t help that Link kept himself so composed and voice so flat while they went on. Sometimes the fairy wished he’d just yell at her. Just scream at her at the top of his lungs. Just to show that emotion!

“I hate that mask.” The fairy grumbled, hovering a bit behind Link as he walked, the two off towards the South.

“Which one?” Link asked, not looking back to his friend. He understood exactly what she meant. A small, childish part of him tried to play dumb, maybe to make her give up. He knew which mask shew was referring to, of course. Their argument stemming from it, after all.

“You know which one!” Tatl snapped, crossing her arms. “That creepy one you wear all the time! The one you’re wearing right now!”

He knew that would happen, and he felt guilty for pressing her buttons on purpose. He was just… a bit annoyed that she kept bringing up his monotone nature. It was childish of him to do that, and he knew it, and just because he did always _display_ his emotions didn’t mean he didn’t have them. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

Letting out an annoyed noise, Tatl flew in front of Link, hovering in front of his face and stopping him in his tracks. “Tell me what the deal with it is! Why are you like this?!”

A part of Link wanted to explain himself to her, but…he also didn’t want her to see more of who he really was. What he was really like. She had seen his mask break a few times, such as when he told her about Navi. But he was scared if he kept showing Tatl more of himself…she’d grow disgusted with him. Hate him.

“…Mayne later.” He didn’t plan on there being a ‘later’ of course. Without another word, he walked past Tatl, who gave an exhausted sigh and slowly followed the boy in green.

_“Can I ask you a question, Link?” Zelda asked, looking over to the boy._

_The two were sitting in the garden, the place where they met. It was a place where Link felt at ease, more than just about anywhere else in the castle. His face was stoic, blank. “Of course. What is it?”_

_The Princess shifted in place, seeming uncomfortable. “Please…I need you to tell me why you hide yourself like this.” She frowned to him; worry etched on her face._

_This hadn’t been the first time she had asked about his mask. Link had been in the castle for nearly an entire year by this point. At first, he was unable to keep his mask intact, usually breaking down crying or screaming in a mood swing and letting his real self out. His emotions would always bleed into his voice, something he couldn’t stop at all._

_But, after a few months, he was able to repair it, and it became a lot easier for him to hide himself away. Yes, he still broke down, especially due to nightmares, but a great deal of the time he was stone faced and stoic._

_“…It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, please.” Link responded, giving a similar answer each time Zelda asked about it. He was surprised she brought it up now, since the two had simply been enjoying the outside together. There were times where she suddenly started a serious talk, usually on his more…stable days._

_Zelda shook her head. “Link, please, I want to help you. You know that by now, surely. If this is something I can aid you with…I need to know.” Slowly, she reached out a hand, gripping one of Link’s own gently._

_He allowed her to do this but kept his hand slack. “Why? It’s fine…I don’t need help with this.” Link was surprised she kept pushing, as the other times she asked about this, she dropped it pretty fast when he turned her down._

_“Because if you’re hiding something, it might hinder your recovery.” The Princess explained, sighing lightly. “…Do you think I’ll judge you?”_

_“What?” Link was taken aback by this. How did she guess so accurately? Well…he supposed Wisdom was her strength, after all. “What do you mean?” He chose to play dumb in an attempt to wiggle out of this._

_“If you think I’ll judge you because of your emotions, you’re wrong. I’d never, ever do that.” Zelda pushed, gripping his hand a bit harder. “I want to help you, nothing more. It will make things easier if I can just understand. Please…let me in…”_

_For a moment, Link was silent, thinking over her words. Well, she had proven time and time again she really was going to stick with him. He had been afraid, near the start, that she would kick him out of the castle for being too much to deal with. Too much of a chore to deal with. Yet, she let him stay. Let him still live there and recover._

_He then thought about Saria, and what she had told him. She tried to get him to tell Zelda about his condition, the Kokiri girl long having figured out what his mask meant. He had turned down the girl’s advice, but…maybe she was right._

_But…_

_“…How do I know you won’t judge me? Or be disgusted?” He asked, staring down at the grass._

_“Link, please, I would never find anything about you disgusting! I promise that I won’t judge you. You can trust me…” Zelda’s voice sounded hurt._

_“…Okay.” Link said, finally relenting. He chose to put faith in Saria and the Princess. “It’s because…”_

…

…

…

Link had screamed himself nearly hoarse the previous night, and Zelda didn’t understand why.

Well, she knew the cause, but not the reason _behind_ it. It had been a festival down in the marketplace. A large party with music, dancing…and fireworks. Link had stayed in the castle, as he had since he returned. When the fireworks show started, he suddenly started to scream, making a beeline towards the castle entrance.

When he was restrained by the guards, he would beg to be let go. Beg to be let out so he could, in his own words, save everyone. His cries and ramblings were too disjointed to piece together what he was saving everyone _from_ , however. Eventually, he nearly lost his voice and exhausted himself. After being taken to bed, he was closely guarded.

The Princess sighed, to herself, standing outside his closed bedroom door. After gathering herself, she opened it and peered inside.

And the sight that revealed itself squeezed at her heart. Link was curled up on his bed, not having left the room at all since the previous night. He was shaking lightly, apparently having woke up recently according to the servant who told the Princess that he had awoken. Link was also muttering lightly, and his eyes snapped to Zelda as she walked towards him, not moving at all as she sat on the bed.

Stopping his muttering, the boy gazed at her. His eyes were unfocused and somehow more broken than when he had left. It had been three weeks since his return, and Zelda still had no idea what had happened to him. Getting the details had been…difficult.

She thought that, maybe, something had happened to him in the two weeks he spent in the Lost Woods. Yet…she couldn’t imagine what that could be. While she wasn’t an expert on the area, Link had told her much about it. And he had never mentioned anything about the forest robbing one of their sanity. It, sadly, seemed this may have happened to Link. For his own safety, he hadn’t even left the castle since his return. She wanted as much observation on him as possible until things improved.

Ever since he returned, he had been quite unstable, more than he had been since the start of his initial recovery two years ago. What made things more confusing were the objects he brought back with him. A disturbing shield with a face on it, an unusual hookshot, and a bow and quiver that were different than the ones he brought with him, along with a few other tools or weapons.

When asked about where he got these things, Link never gave a clear answer, usually only saying something vague. As he told Zelda, he got the mirror shield ‘in the well’ but didn’t explain any further.

His mask was gone too, the one he had left with. The stoic one that hid his true self. It wasn’t there when he first lived at the castle two years prior as well, so she was unsure if it was temporary or not.

All Zelda knew was that sometimes Link…didn’t seem sane at all. There were times he didn’t seem to know who she was or where _he_ was. He’d treat her like a stranger yet had sadness in his eyes when he spoke to her, like he recognized her somehow. Other times he asked where he was, stating he had never been in a castle like this in ‘Termina’ before. She asked what Termina was but, of course, that yielded no answer. Research into such a location had been fruitless. No one in the castle, not even her Father, had any idea.

Some of his old habits, ones he had mostly healed from, came back. Nightmares were a nightly occurrence, and he would wake half the castle with his screams. He refused to share certain information regarding what had recently happened with him. He would barely eat some days and would sometimes throw his food back up. Some days he couldn’t talk or couldn’t be touched.

A lot of times, he’d ramble on under his breath, and attempts to make out what he said were always fruitless. He often asked for the time, too. Several times, every single day. Usually, he would nod slowly in understanding. Sometimes he would bolt away and had to be restrained as he began having a fit. As expected, getting a clear answer out of him was impossible thus far.

He also was nearly attached to the Ocarina of Time. He never let it leave his person or sight at any time. If he had his tunic on, he’d clip it to his belt. If he wore his sleeping gown, he’d carry it around with him, only putting it down on a table if he were sitting at it. If it was taken away, to avoid it being damaged during his fits for instance, he would become desperate, _begging_ for it back.

All of these were worrying the Princess to no end…and Link’s condition broke her heart. He had been recovering and had come a long way. No, he wasn’t fully healed. Yes, his trauma still affected him quite a bit, though a lot of symptoms improved. He was getting better, slowly but surely.

But now…it all seemed lost. If anything, he was in some ways worse than ever.

“Link, are you okay? Do you recognize me?” Zelda asked, giving the boy some space.

For a moment, all he did was stare. Those unfocused, maddened blue orbs peering right through the Princess. He started to mutter under his breath again. Droning on and on about…something she couldn’t quite make out. “Z...Zelda.” He’d finally say, loud enough to be heard.

“Yes! That’s right, I’m here. Are you feeling better?” Zelda asked, glad he at least knew who she was that day.

He didn’t respond at first, but then quickly went over to her hugging her tight and burying his face into her shoulder. The boy would mutter again, voice muffled. Her name was the only thing she could make out, and she quickly noticed he was crying.

“Shhh…It’s okay…I’ve got you…” The Princess replied, rubbing his back gently and trying not to cry herself.

She didn’t know what caused this. She didn’t know if she ever fully would. But seeing Link broken again broke her heart, knowing he had to start healing all over again.

But she wouldn’t give up.

Even if it took her the rest of her life, Zelda would put Link back together.

**Author's Note:**

> And with that, Tales of Termina is now over.
> 
> I didn't announce this, but I decided the tenth entry would be the last. This series has been fun but I think I've written everything I want to in a series that's segmented like this. And, frankly, I don't have any really strong ideas for future entries. Nor do I plan to update this, even if I get a good idea. More on that later. I realize I didn't end on the most triumphant of moments for Link, such as slaying Majora, but even by the second story, the aftermath of the adventure had been seen already. No need to retread on Link finishing his second quest again. Even got to see him initially meet up with Zelda again.
> 
> I admit, there was very little of Termina in this story, but I wanted to show a bit Link's time in Hyrule Castle during his recovery after Ocarina of Time. Not every key moment, but just a few that showed how his mental state was. And then at the end, yet another small window into how he is after Termina. I felt including something like this as part of this series was for the best.
> 
> Now, I believe I mentioned this in comments and end notes either in this series or in The Boy Without a Fairy, but for those unaware I DO plan on making a novelization of Majora's Mask once the Ocarina of Time one is finished. It will of course be the same continuation as here, even retreading on some old ground and of course including all the yummy bits that this series never showed off. As I mentioned before, even if I get great ideas for another Tales of Termina entry, I won't make a new oneshot. Instead, I'll just include it in the novelization. I hope to update The Boy Without a Fairy monthly, and I have no plans on writing anything but the novelization for quite a while, so no breaks as I do other projects. 
> 
> With that, the series is over, and it took quite a while, well over a year by now. For those who read since the start, thank you, especially those that gave feedback and support. Please, let me know what you feel regarding this final entry and the series as a whole, comments are always appreciated.


End file.
